(L) Michael Phelps at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Clark Kent Apuada following his record-setting 100-meter butterfly at the Far Western International Championship.
Superman has a reputation for being faster than a speeding bullet. It turns out he’s also faster than “The Baltimore Bullet.”
Or, at least, 10-year-old Clark Kent Apuada is, having beaten 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps’ 100-meter butterfly meet record for ages 10 and under at the Far Western International Championship that had stood since 1995. Apuada, whose nickname is obviously Superman, has been swimming competitively for four years but beat Phelps’ 10-and-under record by over a second this past weekend in Moraga, California, where he won seven races total.
Apuada also blew away the field, his time of 1:09.38 being the only one under 1:13.00. Phelps’ 1995 mark was 1:10.48.
While Apuada may have a bright future in the pool ahead of him, swimming is just one of his activities. He also plays piano, does martial arts and is interested in computer coding and science. For Apuada, it’s all about how he approaches life.
“Dream big,” he told CNN, “and always focus on your dreams and have fun.”
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
